The Grapes of Wrath: My Demigod Story
by BananaPuddingIsMyFriend
Summary: A new demigod enters Camp Half-Blood excitedly. When she meets Nico di Angelo, things can only go wrong. Right?
1. A Bubbly Blonde Welcomes me to Camp

Heyy people! First, the bad news. I'm discontinuing Noel Peterson: The Demigod Files. The good news? This story should be much, much better than my last one. Yay! I'm afraid I was a bit too scatterbrained when I wrote NP:TDF, so hopefully this is more organized. Well, enjoy! = )

Disclaimer: I will someday be an author, but sadly, I am not Rick Riordan, so I do not own PJO. I also do not own Hold My Heart by Tenth Avenue North. Never heard it? Look it up! It's a very uplifting song.

Chapter One

A Bubbly Blonde Welcomes me to Camp

I bob my head to the music pouring from my iPod speakers. Wondering where this guy in the front seat of the black car I'm riding in is going, I peel the earphones from my ears.

"Excuse me, sir? Will you tell me exactly where we're going?" He simply glances back at me, revealing the many eyes on his face. I flinch, but try to keep calm.

"Ok, so I guess I'm not gonna get an answer?" The man turns back forward. Before I reattach the buds to my ears, the car slows to a stop. I step out, thanking the mute man for I don't know what. My eyes meet the stormy gray ones of a very excited-looking blonde.

"Hi! I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena! Welcome to Camp Half-Blood!" She jabs her hand towards me to shake. I stifle a giggle, shaking it.

"I'm Danielle Cooper, but you can call me Coop. At least that's what everyone else calls me."

"Nice to meet you, Danie- Coop. Follow me." Without question, I follow the girl. Why I don't question why I'm in here, I really have no idea.....most people would be freaked out if they were almost killed by a vampire lady, rescued by a man with goat legs, stuffed in a car with a man covered in eyes, then brought to a strange to camp. I guess my body was on some type of snooze mode.

Glancing around me, I saw a great pine with what seemed to be a dragon with a golden aura curled around it snoozing. To the west, a towering blue three-story buliding, a babbling brook, and a vast field of strawberries. To the far north, a volleyball court, another building (possbly for arts and crafts), an amphitheatre, and climbing wall with searing hot lava streaming down it. I was surprised to find some kids actually climbing the wall. Annabeth led me to the three-story building, with a creamy facade wrapping around the front and east side of the building. On the porch sat two men in lawn chairs playing a card game I recognized as pinochle. One man sat in a wheelchair. The lower portion of his face was covered in a forest of chestnut beard reaching down to the middle of his neck. His hair sat in the same manner. The other man looked a little more rough than the first one. He had tufts of scraggly black curls sticking out uncontrollably atop his head. His face was round and blotchy, his mouth set in a permanent scowl. He wore a leopard print shirt about two sizes too small, sweat pants, and black socks with purple sandals. Talk about stylin'.

"Chiron, Mr. D, this is Danielle Cooper," Annabeth started.

"But you can call me Coop," I piped up.

"Aww great! Another brat!" the blotchy-faced man siad.

"Nice to meet you, Danielle." Chiron gave me a firm handshake, glared at Blotchy-Face, then turned to Annabeth. "Would you show her the orientation video?"

"Already on it," she smiled. Taking my wrist, she led me into the building. She sat me down at a bench in front of an old screen.

"Is that man always this rude?" I asked.

"You mean Dionysus? Yeah, he is. But you get used to it."

I nodded, not so sure.

"This is the Big House," she told me while searching through a box and pulling out an ancient roll of film. Probably something from back in the day when my mom was younger. "In the attic is where the Oracle used to be. Now, it inhabits a girl named Rachel, who stays on the second floor."

"You mean that old spirit thing that gives prophecies?" I questioned, feeling proud of myself for knowing that tidbit.

"Yeah." She stuffed the film into a prehistoric projector. On the screen, the film counted back from five, then began. A man that looked like a younger version of Dionysus stepped into vision.

"Hi. I'm Dionysus, god of wine. You probably know me better as Mr. D, your camp director." He did not look like he wanted to make this video. "Because I am a minor god, and I have been punished-"

"For chasing after a wood nymph!" A voice off stage cut in.

"Can it, Apollo! Anyways, I am forced to be the camp director at Camp.........um..........uh......?"

"Camp Half-Blood, you idiot!" another voice off stage shouted.

"Right! Camp Half-Blood. So, if you already didn't know, Greek mythology is real. Like all the gods and goddesses such as Apollo, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Artemis, Athena, and Demeter. Because we are reality that makes the titans, such as Kronos, and the monsters, such as empousa, real as well. What am I? You may be asking yourself. You are a demigod, a half-blood. Half human, half god. That means one of your parents is a god who had an affair with a human, your other parent. Things that come with being a demigod include dyslexia and ADHD. You may find it difficult to read English, Spanish, Japanese, and many other languages. This is because your mind is programmed to read Greek. ADHD is vital in your life. You could call it inborn fighting skills. Your ADHD helps to slow things down and help you fight sufficiently. You, along with everybody else, were brought here to sharpen your skills and help defeat monsters.

Now, another question you might have is, Who's my immortal parent? Well, you will find out when your immortal parent claims you, if ever. Until you are claimed, you will room with the Hermes cabin. Word of advice, though. Since you may be stayin there for awhile, I advise you to keep valuables close to you. If you have any questions, just ask a camp or cabin leader. But not me" The last sentence was more of a whisper. Then, the movie stopped. I rubbed my eyes as the lights flicked back on.

"Any questions?" Annabeth inquired cautiously.

"Yeah," I replied. "When's supper? I'm starving!"

Annabeth looked aghast. "You mean you're not all freaked out?"

"Not a bit. This is kinda cool."

Annabeth smiled. "Supper's at six." She led me out of the Big House and towards the Hermes cabin.

Whaddaya think? Like this story better? Please review. Reviews earn you virtual cookiessss! Yummmm......... =)


	2. I Meet the Swiping Twins and Get Claimed

I'm back with chapter two! Woo! Got anxious, so wrote two in one day. How lucky are you guys and gals? Very, that's how lucky. = )

Note: I noticed that I never used Hold my Heart by Tenth Avenue North in the first chapter. It will be used in later chapters for sure though, so look out for it.

Disclaimer: Connor: Banana Pudding is actually Rick Riordan.

Me: Yeah. And Connor doesn't steal things.........psh. (I'm not Rick Riordan.)

Chapter Two

I Meet the Swiping Twins and Get Claimed

Strolling along the path with Annabeth, I found myself looking up at astonishing cabins. Some of them were obvious who's cabins they were. For instance, the Poseidon cabin was constructed of sea stone and shells. My mouth found itself agape. "Who built these?" I asked, surprised.

"Well the first twelve by a different and unknown architect. The others were built by me." she beamed like a daughter of Apollo.

"Really?" I was flabbergasted. "So cool!"

"You think so?" she asked, blushing.

"Of course! Were there always this many?"

"Not until two years ago when Percy Jackson declared that all of the minor gods be recognized."

"Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. He's my......." Just then, a boy with pitch-colored hair and sea green eyes ran up to Annabeth, kissing her on the cheek. Annabeth turned the shade of a cherry tomato.

"Hey Annabeth."

"My boyfriend." Annabeth finished.

"Aww!" I squealed like a fangirl. I was a sucker for love. "So adorable!"

The boy laughed. "Nice to meet you. I'm Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon." People here just loved to shake hands, didn't they? I took his hand.

"Danielle Cooper, daughter of undetermined. Call me Coop."

"Cool nickname." He turned to his girlfriend. "Are we still on for tonight?"

"You bet," she said, then turned to me, asking with her eyes if it was okay.

"It's fine," I reassured her. "Go ahead. I'll be okay."

"Awesome." Percy exclaimed. "See you at eight." He hugged her, then jogged away.

Annabeth turned to me. "He can be such a Seaweed Brain." I laughed. "Now let's get you to the Hermes cabin.

Approaching the cabin, I found a caduceus above the door. The building appeared to very worn, the brown paint chipping and peeling in many places. Annabeth knocked on the door. Two boys,twins actually, answered the door.

"I'm Travis Stoll," the taller twin greeted.

"I'm Connor Stoll," the shorter one said.

"And we're the leaders of the Hermes cabin," they chanted like they'd been practicing it. I giggled, the significance of their last name dawning on me. They were children of Hermes, a thief, and their last name was Stoll.

I took both of their hands. "I'm Danielle Cooper."

"I'mma call you Coop, 'kay?" Connor (or was it Travis?No it was Connor.) stated.

"Sure," I chuckled. These guys struck me as hilarious. They led me into the cabin. I waved goodbye to Annabeth.

The boys led me to a bottom bunk, revealing my belongings already laying there. I blushed when I caught sight of my teddy bear, Mr. Snuggles, sitting there in plain view. I quickly thanked the boys and stashed the bear in my suitcase. Another boy in the room approached me. "You must be Coop. I'm Alvin." The boy had the same upturned eyebrows, blonde hair, and blue eyes that all the others in the room, but his features were painted more softly. In fact, at first glance, he made my heart skip a beat.

"N-nice to m-meet you." I awkwardly shook his head. Please let him be the same age as me! And please don't let him be my brother! I highly doubted that I was a daughter of Hermes considering my hair curly,black, and unruly, and my eyes were a deep shade of violet. Thank the gods.

"Well, it's time for supper. You comin'?" He held out his hand to me. I took it and stood up, taking the last spot in the line. Single file, we all made our way to the mess hall.

After scraping off a part of my food into the fire like the others, I took a random seat at a table with Annabeth. A bunch of other children with blonde hair and stormy eyes cocked their brows at me. I felt a hand on my arm tugging me to a table with the rest of the Hermes cabin. It was Alvin.

"Did no one tell you about the table system?" he questioned. I shook my head, embarrassed. "Each person sits with their cabin."

"Why?" I asked.

The whole table shrugged. I did too, and stuck my fork in my mashed potatoes.

Glancing around the outdoor mess hall, I located the Ares cabin, where two were arm wrestling and the others cheered each opponent on. The Athena cabin seemed to be discussing the Taj Mahal. The Demeter cabin sprouted flowers around their table with ease. I found one table strangely empty, only one child eating at it. From a distance, the kid looked like a girl, but a closer look told me the kid was a boy. His shaggy black hair was cut long, hitting the middle of his ear. He had olive skin and a frown on his face. A purple scar ran from his left eye down to his chin, almost looking like a teardrop. His onyx eyes filled with anger met mine. His frown faltered a bit, but soon returned to the same scowl he had on before. I looked away.

"Who's the boy sitting by himself?" I asked.

"That's Percy, son of Poseidon," Travis said matter-of-factly. I look at him confused. Sure enough, when I looked around, Percy was sitting alone.

"No. Not him. The one with the onyx eyes."

Connor paled a bit before answering. "That's the son of Hades. If I were you, I wouldn't get on his bad side."

"As a matter of fact," Travis said, "don't talk to him at all. That boy spells trouble."

I gulped. "Maybe he's just misunderstood." Travis shook his head no.

"Ever since his sister died when he was ten, he's been pretty distant. The only people he really talks to are Annabeth and Percy." I suddenly lost my appetite. If that guy spelled trouble, I didn't want to meet him.

Suddenly, I felt everyones eyes on me. "What?" I asked. "Do I have something in my teeth." A few kids chuckled. Mr. D walked up to me.

"Look up," he told me, more pleasantly than I had ever heard him. Of course, I'd only heard him once. I decided to obey and looked up. I found a glowing purple grape vine above my head, slowing fading away. For the first time, I saw Dionysus smiled.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, my daughter.

So?????? Didja like it? Please review.


	3. I Run into Trouble

Three chapters in a day? I'm on a roll!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PJO, capiche? Capoche.

Chapter Three

I Run Into Trouble

Making my way back to the Hermes cabin, I felt compelled to call myself stupid. How could I NOT see that Dionysus was my dad? I mean, we had the same black, unruly hair and the same purple eyes. I mentally facepalmed.

Gathering my things, I felt a tinge of sadness. I had just been put it the Hermes cabin, and now was moving? I said farewell to my newly-acquired friends and met Chiron outside the cabin. He led me across the walkway to cabin 12, the Dionysus cabin. The cabin was entwined with grape vines, its purple paint looking in much better shape than the paint on the Hermes cabin. I turned the brass doorknob slowly, waving goodbye to Chiron, who was now in centaur form. Entering the building, I found my father and another boy around the age of eighteen sitting on beds opposite from each other, chatting. I cleared my throat, and they both turned to look at me. Dionysus gave me a warm smile. Okay............? I laid my suitcase down by the bed that my dad silently asked me to join him on. Once I sat down, I shook the boy's hand. "I'm Danielle Cooper, but you can call me Coop." It seemed like I'd said that about a million times that day. Shocked, he reached out for my hand, taking it in a soft shake.

"I'm Pollux," he half-whispered. He looked like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time. Dionysus spoke up.

"Danielle, I'm not really good at this whole father thing, so forgive me if I do it incorrectly." He seemed so out of character. He pulled a golden jewelry box from his pocket, pulling out a necklace. It was the most brilliant piece of jewelry I'd ever seen. It was tawny-colored with a charm in the shape of a grapevine. He slipped it over my head.

"The magic words are Η μόνη μου ελπίδα."

"My only hope," I translated softly. I tried it myself. "Η μόνη μου ελπίδα!" The chain morphed from a grapevine charm to a Celestial bronze sword encircled by vines. I tried holding it, but it proved to heavy. Dionysus chuckled. He straightened my arm, making me stand and squaring my shoulders. The sword became lighter instantly, and I smiled. I said the magic words, and it became a necklace again.

"Thank you," was all I could mutter.

"No problem." Dionysus hugged Pollux, then kissed the top of my head. I could tell this sort of thing felt awkward to him. "Good night." He left the cabin, and both Pollux and I lay down.

After a few minutes of silence, I asked, "Were you always by yourself in here?"

He answered reluctantly. "No. I had a brother, Castor. He was a little older than me. He died in the battle against Kronos two years ago." I could hear his voice shaking ever so slightly.

"Oh," was all I said. I decided to stop talking to him and get some rest. I smuggled Mr. Snuggles out of my luggage and fell asleep to the soft sobbing of Pollux.

The next morning at breakfast was quiet. Neither of us Dionysus children said a word. After breakfast, I met up with Percy and Annabeth to head to sword and shield with Clarisse, a not-so-nice Ares daughter. Of course, most of the Ares children were not-so-nice.

An awkward moment of silence passed as I approached the two sucking each other's faces off.

"Okay, I know you two love each other, but I'm only fourteen. Could we please keep it PG for now?"

Percy chuckled and Annabeth blushed. "Sorry Coop," she said.

"No problem," I stated.

We all headed off to the arena for training, even though Percy didn't really need it. I'd learned from Alvin that he'd been invulnerable ever since he bathed in the River Styx. Once we started discussing how camp was going for me, I stepped in front of them, walking backwards. I eagerly told them all about how cool Dionysus could be. For that, I received two cocked eyebrows. When I got to the part about how I thought Alvin was sort of cute, I blushed and Annabeth smiled, leaving Percy to fake gag. I even showed them the magical gift from my father, which I was pretty proud of. When I told them about how quiet breakfast was, Annabeth went wide-eyed and yelled, "Coop! Watch out!"

Too late. I landed flat on my back, sprawled on top of another camper. I swiftly jumped up and apologized, holding my hand out to the camper. I realized it was the boy with the onyx eyes. Trouble.

"I don't need your help," he glared. He stood up, dusted himself off, and stalked away.

"Well, he's rude," I said matter-of-factly.

"He's Nico," Percy replied. "He's always rude."

Yay! Third chapter complete! Looks like Danielle and Nico are gonna have some difficulties. Yikes! Please review!


	4. I Almost Get Killed by a Crazy

First of all, thanks so much to all the people who reviewed, favorite story'd, and favorite author'd me. You guys are awesome! Virtual cookies for all of you. = ) I really enjoy writing this story and to know that so many people like it makes me ecstatic. Thanks again so much.

Note: Nico's grown even more sour since the last war.

Disclaimer: Me no own-y PJO. But I do own a playlist account.= P

Chapter Four

I Almost Get Killed by a Crazy

Who ever told you I was an ace at archery was lying to you. In fact, I never make it even _close_ to the target. I'm always out in the white ring. So you can't be surprised when I tell you I got benched for almost impaling a ten-year-old. Heh. Oops.

So I'm sitting there on the bench with nothing to do when, in a fluster, a boy is hastily sat down next to me. With a huff, the boy quits struggling. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't put my finer on who he was. He looked like an eight-year-old sitting there sulking with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. The same scowl I saw on the boy with the onyx eyes. Hmmm..........

I must've been staring because the boy turned to me and said, "What're _you _lookin' at?!" Guy PMS much? I sat there, fumbling over my words.

"I-I was just..................you know................never mind." I turned forward, my gaze falling to my feet.

"Whatever," he scoffed.

We sat in silence for about three minutes. His hand subconsciously lay on top of mine for about half a second. In that half-second, I could see something I never wanted to see again. In that half-second, I had a vision.

_I was standing in a barren, ashen field. People who looked like zombies surrounded me. Wait. They _were _zombies. I recognized where I was. Elysium. I glanced around, finding thousands of heroes from my Greek mythology textbook: Hercules, Perseus, Theseus.............. And some newer additions: Percy had told me about Beckendorf and Silena Beauregard._

_ Then, my location changed. A grand throne made of skeletons sat in front of me. The inhabitant of the throne had black hair and pits for eyes. He looked scarily similar to the boy I was sitting by. _

_ "Hello Danielle...." the man said in a sinister tone. Then I recognized him. Hades. He changed form then, from an almost normal man to a monster of fire. I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut._

"Hello? Earth to weird girl!" The boy with the onyx eyes was shaking me. I opened my fear-filled eyes, looking at the boy. He got the same look of worry on his face like he knew.

"Did you...........have a vision?" I nodded, still shaken. "What happened in it? This is very important." He scooted closer to me, but I scooted away. Every time he'd try to get closer, I'd scoot a little farther away. When he tried to grab my arm, I shot up and ran. Ran straight across the field. Where demigods were shooting arrows. Not my greatest idea, but I had to et away from him. If Hades was his father, then...................could he........................I didn't even want to think about it. I just wanted to get away. Unfortunately, that didn't work out so well.

I had a head-on collision with someone who felt as hard as rock, and hit the ground with a _thud! _ Dazed, I looked up to see a growling Clarisse. I gulped.

"Hey little girl! Maybe you should watch where you're going!"

"I-I'm sorry," I muttered pitifully. She picked me up by an arm, dangling me in the air. She leaned in close to my face. Her breath smelled like rotting meat and toothpaste. I tried hard not to gag.

"Sorry's not always good enough," she whispered harshly. I whimpered.

"Hey!" a familiar voice yelled. "Just leave her alone, Clarisse! She didn't mean to." Releasing one last growl, Clarisse dropped me. A boy with upturned eyebrows, blonde hair, and soft blue eyes lent me a hand. I graciously took it.

"Thanks Alvin," I smiled.

"No problem," he grinned back.

You know when a guy and a girl have one of those moments where the world holds their breath? Well, Alvin and I were having one of those. That is until Annabeth came along and broke it.

"C'mon Coop. We're gonna be late for winged horseback riding."

"Wait. You have pegasi?" I loved those things when I was seven, but never would have imagined I'd ever ride one.

Annabeth laughed. "Of course!"

I waved goodbye to Alvin, taking one last fearful glance at Onyx-Eyes, and followed Annabeth off to our next activity.

Okay short chapter, I know. It was more of a filler to move things along. There was some CoopXAlvin in there for that one reviewer who requested it.......... =) What do you guys think? CoopXAlvin or CoopXNico? Just remember, if I change it completely to CoopXAlvin, the storyline will take an immediate U-turn. Reviews are love.


	5. My Prophecy Isn't So Enlightening

Hey peeps! First, very important question. Which is better? Toaster Strudels or Poptarts? Anyways, back on topic. This chapter is really big and will effect the rest of the story, so please pay attenton,or you'll find yourself lost.

Disclaimer: (enter sarcastic comment about how I do NOT own PJO)

Chapter Five

My Prophecy Isn't so Enlightening

I sat on my bed later that night, fiddling with the strings on my violin. Oh, I didn't tell you I play violin? Well, I do, so now you know. While tuning my instrument, Pollux walked in, his whole self looking a mess, especially his face, which was covered in dark red lipstick. Without even blinking, I asked, "Crazy Molly after you again?"

"Yep. Unfortunately." I laughed lightly at his misfortune, picking up my face scrub and taking his hand. I led him into the bathroom and sat him on the edge of the bathtub. I was starting to get used to the fact that my brother was a chick magnet. A lot of girls liked him, but the only one who had the courage to make a move was Mental Mollyy. Mixing the soap into a lather, I began to talk. "You've gotta stay away from that girl."

"I know. She's mental or somethin'. Since when do you play the violin?"

Scrubbing his face, I answered. "Man! How many people have I not told?! I've been playin sine I was seven."

"That's cool. I play a little electric harp myself." At this, I cracked up laughing.

"Electric harp? There's such a thing?"

"Yeah." Pollux began to laugh himself. "It's pretty awesome actually." Tossing him a towel to dry his face, I walked back to my bed. He followed suit. Grabbing my violin, I placed my chin on the rest. I allowed my bow to play a quick tune I had learned not too long back, the note dancing on the strings. When I fini

shed, Pollux applauded me.

" Just don't teach Molly how to play. She'll be serenading me all night long."

"You've got that right."

"My life sucks eggs," he said, accepting the truth.

"Hey don't feel bad," I grinned. "At least now your face smells all girly and sweet." He nudged my side, sitting beside me. A knock on the door interrupted our sibling bondage moment. I answered the door, recognized who it was, then slammed the door in his face.

"C'mon, you baby! Let me in!"

"No!" I shouted through the door at Onyx-Eyes.

"This is important! Of course, you're probably too bubble-headed to get it anyways."

That did it. I tore open the door, knocking the boy down. I pinned him easily and pulled my arm back for a punch when I felt another hand holding me back.

"Coop, just chill," Pollux commanded in his quiet, calm voice.

"I'm sick of him! He's so rude! He's vain, and cold-hearted, and just plain..............." I stopped myself. Looking deep into his eyes, I could see a normal boy with feelings and a life. A boy who actually cared about other people. Then, a look of pure evil. I could make out the firey figure of his dad. I dropped his arm frantically, burying my face in my brother's side.

"What is up with you today?" Pollux questioned. I didn't reply. I just wanted to get away from him. Of course, Pollux let him in. I was forced to look at the boy again.

"So what's up, Nico?" Pollux asked calmly.

"Chiron thinks Danielle needs to visit the Oracle."

"You mean that creepy lady?" I squeaked. "No way!"

"She's not a mummy anymore," Nico tried to reason. "Her name is Rachel, and she's only about four years older than us."

I looked at Pollux, pleading with my eyes hat he wouldn't make me go. He gave me a look that told me to do it. I reluctantly agreed to see the Oracle.

When I first met the Oracle, she wasn't at all what I was expecting. She was............nice. "I'm Rachel, the Oracle. You must be Danielle." I nodded. Suddenly, her eyes glowed completely green, her mouth opening to speak.

_A child of darkness and one of vines_

_Shall work together, combining minds._

_Three others shall come, but that is all_

_Two to change and one to fall_

_The fields consume the ones off-guard_

_Leaving a hero permenantly charred_

_From the master of trickery, you'll receive a call_

_And, if not careful, the kingdom will fall._

Rachel's eyes returned to their normal shade, and she fainted. I stood surprised.

Back in the cabin,I recited the prophecy to the boys, every line making Nico go a new shade of pale. When I reached the end, Pollux spoke up.

"The child of vines is obviously you, so the child of darkness is most likely Nico." We shared an uncomfortable glance. I wasn't ready to spend more time with him.

"You're allowed three more people, so I'd choose wisely," Nico noted. I made a list of the people I should bring with me, crossing off names and going back over it.

"Two to change and one to fall. Someone will die." I muttered.

"But what do they mean by fields?" Pollux asked.

"I'm not so sure yet," Nico admitted. "There are a lot of fields in this world."

"Wait." I started forming an idea. "Maybe the fields means the Fields of Asphodel or something. Even the Fields of Punishment." Nico nodded.

"Let's get Chiron," Nico said. Thoughts racing, I headed for the campfire, where everyone else was (partially) enjoying the sound of music.

Finding Chiron, I whispered to him about the prophecy. He cleared his throat, and everyone fell silent. "Everyone, Danielle has received a prophecy." Everyone looked at me wide-eyed. I shakily began the prophecy, the knot in my stomach growing larger by each word. By the time I finished, I wanted to hurl.

"So who's goin' with ya?" a demigod asked. I scanned the crowd, looking at Nico first. He'd have to go. My eyes then met Annabeth's. She nodded and walked up to me. My gaze fell on Percy, and he joined us as well. Lastly, I found Alvin in the crowd. He looked startled, but joined us nonetheless. I would've chosen Pollux, but I couldn't another one of dad's sons die. He'd probably crack if Pollux did. There was always that chance that Alvin would be the one to die, but I forced that to the back of my thoughts.

"We meet at six A.M., sharp," I instructed. Then, the body was dismissed to their cabins for lights out.

I needed some sleep.

Ok, so I know this chapter could've been split into two, but they would've been really short, so I kept it like this. Review, please?


	6. The Quest Begins

Heyy heyy! First off, I'd like to thank my biggest follower of this story so far: Ruby Remembrance! You are amazing and have stuck with me through this whole story. I really appreciate it, and so I dedicate this chapter to you.

Disclaimer: Me: I do NOT own PJO!

Connor: (eating a taco) Hey Nana.

Me: Umm, Connor? How'd you get that taco?

Connor: Stole it from Nico.

Nico: Give me back my taco!!!

Me: Niiiiice.........

Chapter Six

The Quest Begins

The amount of sleep I got the night before the quest is about equivalent to the chances of the Stoll brothers never pulling shenanigans again. Yep, that's right. No sleep for Coopie-Pie. I woke up to my alarm blaring in my ear. I searched angrily for the off button, then dressed and packed my backpack: some ambrosia and nectar, Medea's SPF 5000 sunscreen, some snacks, bottled water, and an extra dagger just in case. My sword was, of course, around my neck. Trying not to disturb Pollux, I slipped on my Converse and tiptoed out the door.

When I met the gang in front of Thalia's tree, I could tell we had all had a rough night. The only one that was really wide awake was Alvin, although not with excitement. Because Percy was eighteen and the oldest, he drove the camp van. Getting seated and buckling seat belts, Percy asked, "Where to?"

"San Francisco," I replied groggily. Soon after, I fell asleep.

I'd been told about demigod dreams and their significance and even had a few of my own. This one was especially heartbreaking.

_I was in an immense field, much like the one in my previous dream. But it wasn't the same. People weren't screaming, weren't crying, weren't in pain. It was..........peaceful. The Isle of the Blest. Hero territory. I scanned the crowd, finding such heroes as Theseus, Achilles, and Perseus _(Her last dream was inaccurate. The heroes are sent to the Isle of the Blest. Oops.)_. Some were strikingly familiar, while others were complete strangers to me. _

_Looking to the left, I found a boy siting n front of a ghostly figure. The boy was still very much alive and had shaggy black hair with onyx eyes. Nico. The shade spoke softly to the boy. As I examined Nico better, I found a few tears dripping from his face._

"_Child, you are not alone. You know this. You are loved."_

"_By you and Bianca," the boy stated shakily. "Not dad."_

_The woman lifted Nico's chin. "Your father cares very much about you."_

"_My father hates me," Nico said spitefully. "He wouldn't care if I was killed. He'd see me anyway." He lowered his head again._

"_Nico, look at me," the shade ordered softly. He obeyed. "Your father cares. He just doesn't show these things well."_

_Another tear spilled over Nico's left cheek. "I don't know what to do, Mama........."_

"_I'm afraid that's something you'll have to figure out on your own. Now, I must go." She kissed her son on the forehead._

"_Please don't go, Mama! I need you......."_

"_You're a strong boy. Be strong for me?" Nico reluctantly nodded. The woman smiled, then disappeared, leaving Nico with tears streaming down his face. "I love you, Mama."_

"COOP!!!" I nearly jumped ten feet in the air at Annabeth's voice.

"Yeah?" I asked wearily.

"Are you okay?" Alvin questioned.

I nodded my head. "Yeah............why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you were crying and saying, 'No. Don't him on his own. He needs you,'." I blushed.

"Oh. Sorry."

"You had a dream," Nico said, more a statement than a question. "What was it about?"

"You." I went even redder. He began to turn a light shade of pink himself.

"What happened?"

"Well, you were talking to your mom in the Isle of the Blest, hoping she'd help you with your dad. Apparently, she just made things more confusing."

"Oh............" It grew quiet, and stayed that way for the next three hours.

That is, until we met some unhappy campers.

Well, did you like this chapter? Too short? Review please!


	7. I Am Healed by the Son of Hades

Hey again, my faithful readers! Once again, I thank all of my favoriters and reviewers. You guys are awesome! You deserve a round of applause. (vigorous applause) Now that that's finished, I'd like you guys to listen to this awesome song by Chris Tomln. It's called Our God is Greater. Look it up on Youtube or any other video or music site. Now on with chapter seven!

Disclaimer: Me: I DO NOT OWN- (is cut off by Connor licking her hand) Umm.........Connor? What are you doing?

Connor: I'm pretending I'm a kitty. MEOW!

Me: O.............K.............anyways, I DO NOT OWN PJO!

Connor:MEOW!

Chapter Seven

I Am Healed by the Son of Hades

Percy pulled to a stop in a clearing so we could stretch our legs. I almost collapsed when I stepped out, my knees feeling like Jello. Luckily, Alvin caught me. "Whoa there, Coop! Be careful." I smiled as he helped me back up.

"Nico and I are gonna search for firewood," Percy told us. "You guys stay here." I took a seat by Annabeth on the ground.

"So Coop. Likin' your first quest so far?" Annabeth inquired.

I shrugged. "Nothing exciting's really happening yet." That's when we all heard a rustling in the woods and knew better than to think it was Nico and Percy. They were masters of stealth. We quietly snuck over to the trees, finding Nico and Percy back-to-back with their weapons drawn. Annabeth drew her knife and Alvin produced a bow. "Η μόνη μου ελπίδα," I whispered, transforming my charm into a sword wrapped with vines. We stood in wait.

From the trees, a five dracanae, snake women, emerged. "Hello sssssssweetiessssss," one hissed menacingly. That particular one slithered towards me, snapping at me with her venomous fangs. The others attacked my friends. I dove to the right as the monster lunged for me. Rolling back to my feet, I barely had time to deflect a sword she had produced from Zeus-knows-where. I sliced at her, but she dodged it easily. I jabbed her in the forehead with the butt of my sword. She fell back in a mixture of pan and shock. I had some time before she would become conscious again.

I looked over at Annabeth, seeing she was handling her monster fairly well. They were both equally defensive and offensive, so it made it more difficult for Annabeth to kill her. She bit at Annabeth, missing by a mile. After dodging, she sliced through the monsters neck, making it dissolve into golden dust.

I found Percy had already defeated his dracaena. So had Alvin. Only Nico was left to defeat his opponent.

He was all defense and no offense. The monster didn't even give him a chance to strike. The dracaena hacked at him like crazy. Finally, Nico rolled directly in front of it's blind spot. He took his chance and jabbed, causing the monster to turn to dust. He looked at me triumphant, then with fear in his eyes. "Coop! Watch out!" Turning, I saw the dracaena towering over me, it's fangs dripping venom. I slashed at it, but it caught my leg, ripping through it. I screamed in pain, dropping to the ground. I knew I would die. But right before the monster could finish me off, I found a pitch black horn emerging from its stomach. A look of surprise covered the monster's face. The monster bursting into dust, Nico appeared. He cleaned his sword with his shirt.

"Thanks," I said, barely audible.

"Next time, pay attention," he said harshly, lifting me up cradle-style and carrying me over to a nearby tree. I winced as I leaned back against the tree. Annabeth pulled some nectar from her pack, pouring it directly onto my wound. It wasn't the smartest idea, considering too much of the stuff could make a demigod implode.

"That's a pretty nasty wound," Annabeth told me. "It won't be easy to heal." I could feel the nectar doing its work, tingling in my cut.

"We'd need an Apollo child to heal this wound. If we don't get one of them, then........" Alvin trailed off.

"What if I knew how to heal her?" Nico spoke up. Annabeth slapped him, resulting in a, 'What was THAt for?!' from the boy.

"Why didn't you tell us this before I used the nectar."

"Well, I didn't think of it until you said 'Apollo child'," he said, embarrassed.

"Well, work your magic, Death Breath!" Annabeth ordered. I wasn't so sure if I wanted someone called Death Breath to heal me, but unless I wanted to die, I would allow him.

He placed his hands firmly on the wound which made me cry out in pain. I instinctively grabbed Alvin's hand. The feeling of salty skin on an open wound was less than fabulous. Nico shushed me, then closed his eyes, concentrating hard. As I watched him, I could hear him whisper a few Greek words. A shadow escaped from his fingers, seeping into my skin. I felt a tingling sensation, much stronger than the nectar. The pain began to subside, and I watched as my wound began to close up. One of hands left my leg, scooping a tear from my face, then returning to my leg. Not even a scar was left on my leg when Nico removed his hands. I let go of Alvin's hand, touching my leg. I tried to stand up, but failed miserably.

"Oh yeah," Nico said. "When I heal your leg, it's like it forgets to walk. Heh." He laughed nervously. I glared at him.

"So when will I be able to walk again?"

"In about, oh, a day?"

"Looks like we're camping here tonight." Percy piped up. "I'll get the blankets. Alvin, you start a fire."

"Got it." Alvin jumped up, borrowing my spare dagger to strike a fire.

Annabeth turned to Nico. "When did you learn how to do that?"

"One day in school when someone's pet turtle had been injured badly in a car accident."

"Why did you use my tears?" I questioned.

"You have to use tears. It's like adding feeling into what you're doing."

With Percy and Alvin setting up camp, I borrowed a book from Annabeth, soon falling asleep.

Review please!


	8. I Take a Little Swim

Heyy again you AMAZING readers! I'm back with chapter eight! And so you guys know, I DO have a life. Believe it or not. I I read, I participate in activities, I go to school (bleh...........) like all of you guys. I just especially love writing for you guys. To know that people actually enjoy and respect my work makes me ecstatic. Plus, I know from experience that you never want to wait for the next chpater of the story, so I write as much as I can as soon as I can for you guys. Aren't you glad you clicked on this story? I know I'm glad you did. And anyone who checked out the chris Tomlin song tell me in a review what you thought, please!

Disclaimer: Me: What do you think?

Connor: I think I got a belly full of carrots, and I'm ready to NAP!

Me: (facepalms)

Chapter Eight

I Take a Little Swim

"Get up, Sleepyhead!" Annabeth shouted in my ear. I shot up, my heart racing. Looking around and finding it was still dark, I glared at her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"It's....." I checked her watch. "Four in the morning!"

"Exactly. We need to get moving."

"What are we even supposed to find?" I questioned, that fact just dawning on me.

"An item from the master of trickery?" she said in a don't-be-stupid kind of tone. I shook my head, not understanding. "Hades' sword!"

"Hades has a sword? Since when?"

"Since about a week ago."

"Why didn't the prophecy tell us that?!"

"It was sort of implied. By the master of trickery, it meant Melinoe. And Nico said Melinoe would do anything to get that sword."

" Okay, one: How did Nico know and not me? And two: What's so great about this sword?" Annabeth's sat in awe of my ignorance.

"Nico's a child of the Big Three and so is Percy. They know because Hades isn't allowed to just make a new symbol. It'll throw off the balance. And you do NOT want to see an angry Poseidon and Zeus. Nico and Percy know because Hades figures that if they present the weapon themselves, Zeus and Poseidon are more likely to approve it."

"But what about Zeus' child?"

"Chances are, we'll find her along the way. And the sword is special because it has a magic key. It can lock and unlock death. and because Melinoe wroks for Kronos....."

"........she could bring Kronos out of Tartarus," I finished. Annabeth nodded. "But why did he put the key in the sword in the first place?"

"If you just touched someone with the blade, it could kill you instantly. Or do the opposite." The prophecy was finally making sense to me.

"Well, what if it killed one of us?"

Annabeth laughed. "You sure ask a lot of questions." I blushed, and she held her hand out to me. I took it and she pulled me up.

Everyone else was already packed up and ready to head out. I grabbed Annabeth's book and my blanket and followed suit.

The car ride was eerily quiet. Everyone just sat there thinking or reading (or in Percy's case, driving). I felt uncomfortable, so I layed my head back and closed my eyes. Not two seconds into my rest, someone poked my nose. I opened my eyes to find a smirking Alvin. I did the natural thing: I poked HIS nose. That resulted in a full-blown Pokey War. He'd poke my side, I'd poke his cheek. He'd poke my forehead, I'd poke his arm. After about ten minutes of poking and giggling, Nico got angry.

"Will you guys just shut up?!" he yelled. We both stopped mid-poke, looking guilty. "Flirt somewhere else please." This statement painted my cheeks crimson.

"We weren't flirting," I protested.

"Were too," Nico shot back.

"Were not."

"Were too."

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"WERE NOT!"

"WERE TOO!!!!"

Before worsening the argument, I jabbed my finger into Nico's side and said, "Pooooooke......" He cocked his brow at me. I laughed. So he poked me back and smiled. We continued poking each other until I shouted, "Flirt somewhere else please!" in my best Nico imitation voice. He turned pink, but made a gagging gesture. I laughed and sat back.

Not two hours later, we stopped in Wisconsin for some food. Ordering cheeseburgers at seven in the morning, we sat by a nearby lake and chowed down.

"This is nice," I stated. "Not the same as watching the sunrise overe the ocean, but close enough."

Annabeth nodded, gazing at the sky painted with hues of purple, red, pink, and orange. "Close enough."

That's when I met her.

We heard some distant screaming off to our right, so we drew our weapons, staying silent. Out of nowhere came running a girl with short, dark hair, electric eyes, wearing a skulls-and-crossbones t-shirt and jeans. "Hellhound!" she yelled, passing us. Sure enough, a hellhound was bounding toward us at full speed.

"Mrs. O'Leary! Heel!" Percy yelled. The giant dog skidded to a stop, whimpering. Percy rolled his eyes. "Go ahead." The dog's ears perked up, and she licked Percy all over. Nico came up to her and scratched between her ears. She barked happily and turned to him, licking him in the fashion as she had Percy.

"Alvin. Coop. This is Mrs. O'Leary. Daedalus' old pet." Being given an okay by Percy, I walked up to the dog, petting it affectionately.

"Aww. Good doggy! You're such a good girl! Yes you are!" I said, mimicing the way an adult would talk to a baby.

I heard the girl say,"Who invited the pansy?"

"This is her quest," Alvin explained. I turned to her, holding out my hand. "I'm Danielle Cooper, but you can call me Coop."

She took my hand reluctantly. "I'm Thalia Grace, but I don't like you."

I cocked my brow. "What did I do?"

"Nothing. I just don't like you. You're too.............weak."

I scoffed. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, really."

I probably shouldn't have, but I tackled the girl. Too bad she was just as strong as I was. We pulled hair, punched, and kicked. I wrapped Thalia in vines, and she would zap me.

"Stop it!" Percy yelled, but we continued. The next thing I knew, I had been tossed in the lake with Thalia. Emerging, I glared Percy. She seemd to agree with me on this one. "Be nice to each other."

"No promises," I muttered.

"Let's go. We've got room for Thalia."

"But what about Mrs. O'Leary.?" I questioned. Mrs. O'Leary whimpered, and Percy looked at her guiltily.

"Sorry girl. You can't come with. Go back to camp." Mrs. O'Leary licked him in a melancholy way, then walked off.

We all squeezed in the car, Percy and Annabeth sitting in front, Alvin and Thalia sitting in the middle row, and Nico and I in the back row.

Not the best seating arrangement.

This was more of a filler chapter meant to only introduce Thalia. Also, Pokey Wars are very common in my little town, especially at church. Example:

Brad: No PDA! And that brings me to my next point, no sharing seats.

Jace: But what if me and Curry get in an extreme Pokey War and end up in the same seat?

Brad: No.

See? Very common. My best friend and I always have Pokey Wars. You should try it. It's fun. I'd like to say that Coop is just like me, but I'd be lying. Coop is way cooler and wittier than me. Well, review!


	9. I Have a Talk with Nico

Heyy heyy again my peeps! I am so grateful to have all these reviewers. You guys are truly amazing. Now, I give you...........................CHAPTER NINE!

Disclaimer: Me: I do not own P-

Connor: Yo, my name is R-Dizzle!

Me: Uh,ok.......... Anyway, I do not own-

Connor: Forizzle my nizzle!

Me: I do not-

Connor: Off the hizzle!

Me: I DO-

Connor: Drizzle!

Me: Are you done?

Connor: You tryin' to rush me? You think this is some kind of race? Are you racist?

Me: NO! I just-

Connor: Nah, I'm just kiddin'. Go ahead.

Me: (sigh) You know I don't own PJO.....

Chapter Nine

I Have a Talk with Nico

Because I had nothing to do, I did the stupidest thing to pass the time: I twiddled my thumbs. Oh yes. Coopie-Pie twiddled her thumbs. I know. Geek alert! Looking up from my thumbs, I glanced over at Nico. He seemed..........nervous. I tapped his shoulder, cocking my brow at him. He scooted dangerously close, making me blush. And before you say anything, NO! I do NOT like Nico! It's just......he sort of still scares me.

Lowering his voice, he leaned in close. "I need to have a talk with you......"

"A talk?"

"Yeah. A talk." It clicked just then in my mind what he meant. I blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Well, um.........are you sure you want to talk to _me _about this?" He nodded. I continued awkwardly. "Umm, well, you see, it's.............it's something you should save for marriage and-"

"Wait, wait, wait! Whoa there, Nelly!" He burst, earning us three confused looks. He quieted down again. "When I said talk, I didn't mean THE talk."

"Ohhhhh...............sorry." My face got even darker.

"Yeah. I've already been down that road. It's not pretty." I laughed at that comment.

"Ok, so what did you want to talk about?"

He looked forward as if making sure of something, then turned back to me. "Thalia."

I smiled knowingly. "Awww....you like her!"

He shushed me frantically.

"Chill. I won't tell her. So, what exactly about her did you want to talk about?"

"Do you....do you think she.....you know..likes me?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. I frowned. The girl hated me. How was I supposed to know. Plus, I'd just met her, and our first encounter wasn't so great.

"Umm.......I don't know how to tell you this, but........." His face dropped instantly.

"Yeah,I get it," he said sullenly. He sat back in his seat, closing his eyes. It was sort of strange seeing him actually _feel _something for a change. And the fact he was feeling depression wasn't such a great thought. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it. There are plenty of people in the world. There's one out there for you and I'm sure of it." He didn't look too reassured. I scolded myself. I'd sworn that I'd never grow up to sound like my mom, and here I was, saying things that she would.

"Yeah. Maybe for everyone else," he said. I looked at him, a sad expression on my own face. That's when I saw it. The marks.

Nico apparently was beginning to get hot, so he peeled off his jacket. As he did so, I caught sight of his wrists. I gasped, grabbing them.

"Nico!"

"What?"

"Your wrists! You cut them!" He frantically tried to cover my mouth, but failed. Annabeth whipped around. "He did WHAT?!" Oops.

That day, Nico received an extremely long lecture over the reasons slitting your wrists was bad. I felt like throwing up the whole time. I knew what he was going through. Thalia had no idea she was the reason.

Until I opened my big mouth later on.

Filler chapter. Sorry. I don't feel skipping the ride to San Francisco. Review please!


	10. Morning Sickness

Heyy y'all! Sorry. Oklahoma practice really mies up my slang. Anyway, here are a few heads ups:

1. My school has officially started Oklahoma musical practice, so that'll take up a lot of time.

2. I'm going to Florida on the 10th of May, so I won't be on the computer, but I'll write in a notebook. = )

So, um, yeah. But once again, thank you guys soooooo much for all your reviews and favoriting. I know I say this a lot, but I want you guys to know that I read what you post. Thanks again sooooo much! = )

Disclaimer: Me no owny PJO!

Connor: You can own me if you want.... (winks)

Me: Ugh! You're so immature!

Chapter 10

Morning Sickness

I woke up to Annabeth shaking me. We'd all fallen asleep on the road (except for Percy, of course) and I could see the sun barely peeking over the horizon. I rubbed the fuzziness out of my eyes, helping Annabeth wake the rest up. When I shook Nico, he moaned and stayed in his position. Thinking he'd get up soon, I climbed over him and out of the car. We all began to head to the cheapest restaurant we could find when I realized Nico wasn't coming. I told Annabeth to head on while I got Nico.

Reaching the car, I found Nico completely sprawled over the back row in a strange fashion. I chuckled, shaking him for a third time. "Nico," I whispered. "Get up." He moaned once again. Finally lifting his head, I found his face t be abnormally pale. I mean, sure, he'd always been a bit pale, but not this white.

"I don't feel so great...." he moaned drowsily.

"C'mon." I helped him out of the car and into the restaurant where I found th rest of the gang waiting. Their eyes became round when they caught sight of Nico. "He says he doesn't feel good," I told them.

After a quick breakfast, we all crammed back into the car, staying in the positions we had been in before. To my surprise, Nico lay his head in my lap. I tried comforting him by stroking his hair. I would later on learn that Annabeth had taken a picture of this.

"I have to get better," Nico said weakly.

"I know, hun." I mentally did a double-take. I was becoming my mother. "You'll be okay."

That when he heaved his poor little guts out.

After cleaning the car of Nico's insides, Percy told us he had something to show us. Pointing to a sign, he smiled. We looked up to see a sign.

'Welcome to San Francisco!'

Today was the day we'd go to the Underworld.

Thalia turned to the much better but still pale Nico. "Hey Death Breath. You know a close entrance?"

He led us to a store with a sign that looked like it read 'Het Cstree Psgasea'.

"The Secret Passage," Nico translated.

"Well, gee. That's not suspicious," I spat sarcastically. Thalia glared at me. What had I done?!

Nico led us into the run-down store, only to put us face-to-face with an ugly bird-human with talons and poisonous swords.

Stymphalian bird.

I transformed m charm into the viney sword as everyone else drew their weapons.

On Percy's silent count, we all charged at once. Okay, probably not the smartest strategy to use while facing a bird-woman with poisonous swords. Of course, we were probably not the smartest demigods around.

The monster hacked at Percy, slashing unsuccessfully at his steel-like skin. It went for Alvin, digging its claws into his shoulder. He cried out in pain, but continued to fight it. Annabeth was knocked out by the butt of the poisonous sword. Nico's face were scratched and oozing blood, but he made not a sound. I, on the other hand, was doing pretty good at dodging blows.

After about a million hacks and slashes and one curse cast by Nico, the bird was defeated. We all panted, especially Nico. When a demigod used his or her powers, it normally took a lot out of you. The only one that didn't seemed phased was Percy. Him and his invulnerability.........

Percy and I began aiding Alvin and Annabeth. Percy worked on Annabeth, while I sopped the blood from Alvin's shoulder with my t-shirt. He winced every time I'd blot it.

"This is pretty nasty," I said. "Luckily, the gash isn't as deep as mine was. It should heal easily."

"Yeah. I hope so. I don't want to sit out the fight against Melinoe." I smiled.

"You really like this stuff, don't you?" He nodded. I wrapped an extra clean t-shirt around his shoulder after pouring nectar on it, for fear of infection.

Rising, he said, "Thanks Coop." Smiling, he leaned down, kissing me quickly.

I blushed.

Annabeth being awake again, she nudged me in my side, seeing the whole thing. I slapped at her softly and laughed.

Alvin was really something.........

So that's it for this chapter. Sorry it's so short. I've got some serious blockage going on. Ugh! Anyways, review please! = )


End file.
